Offbeat

The US is known for its tough criminal justice system, with an incarceration rate far larger than any comparable country. So why is it that Republicans in Texas are actively seeking to close prisons, asks Danny Kruger,

Since the 1970s the rate of incarceration in the United States has quadrupled, after having been relatively flat over the prior half-century. In 1973 the number of Americans in prison was around 200,000. By 2009 that number had grown to 1.5 million.

Video footage of a tiger traveling with the UniverSoul Circus showing his foot trapped beneath the sliding door to his cage has prompted PETA to fire off a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Indianapolis Animal Care & Control asking

The image of wild animals kept in barren zoo enclosures with concrete floors and no enrichment; elephants shackled to the floor before and after their 'performance' in the circus ring; a dolphin trained to balance a ball; a monkey dressed as superman

The HSUS released "Missouri's Dirty Dozen," a report on some of the most deplorable puppy mills in Missouri. These puppy mills were singled out for repeatedly depriving dogs of the basics of humane care like food, shelter, and basic veterinary

Besides contaminated and low quality food, the wild cats at Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) face another risk related to their enclosure. Experts say it is not according to the prescribed norms of the Central Zoo Authority of India (CZA).